Candidates have limited control in an interview. They cannot control the questions they will be asked nor can they control the manner by which employers will rank and weigh their responses. They cannot control interviewer bias.

Despite such noble intentions, candidates are frequently rejected or hired for other criteria. Over the past several months, we have had candidates eliminated by clients not for failing to check off the exhaustive list of requisite experience, skills or competencies but rather...

Many hiring managers read resumes in a cursory manner. They review the companies and roles that candidates have filled over their careers while making note of education levels, stability, the quality/consistency of overall career trajectory, and purported skills, knowledge and competencies.

Executive search processes and their outcomes fascinate me to no end. I enjoy trying to figure out how organizations determine their requirements and how well the outcomes line up to them. The recent decision to hire Ron Tavener as OPP Commissioner is a case in point.

In our last post we discussed the temptations facing unemployed executives to move with extreme haste in finding a new role. Conceptualizing job loss as akin to falling off a horse they associate ‘down time' with unproductive, time-consuming activity.

Every week, without exception, we meet executives who have jumped back on their horses in this very manner and embraced a ‘spray and pray' job search strategy. For some it may work like a charm but for the majority, dare I say the vast majority, it is the wrong approach.

The message for companies is pay attention, respect personal dignity, gives candidates a voice and some control over the process, and treat them as partners in an important relationship. Not only will companies have a higher chance of hiring them, on terms possibly more favorable, but as it turns out, keeping them.

When Your Chief Information Officer SHOULD NOT be Your Chief Digital Officer

November 4, 2016 at 2:30 PM

The CIOs of most organizations now wear many hats. As well as maintaining all the current applications, ensuring cyber security is up to date, and creating a store of data for the whole company to use, many are now being asked to take on the digital transformation role as well. In many situations this is quite simply the wrong move.

For any organization that is facing the potential for the complete disruption of their industry and/or business model, it is essential that the Chief Digital Officer be more aligned with the business and new channel strategies than the existing information technology department. This is not to say that there will not be strong linkages between the existing technology groups and the digital teams, but, the emphasis has to be on the go-forward business model, not maintaining the existing legacy systems. The Chief Digital Officer must be free from the existing technology stack to envision new ways of delivering products and services, and then delivering on those commitments. This means spending more time with marketing, finance, sales, and other teams in the business, as opposed to working on maintaining the existing technology framework. It is a totally different type of responsibility and skillset and the result of the work is often measured completely differently than a CIO role.

Alternately, if the digital strategy that your organization is pursuing is an add-on to the current business, then the CIO should also be the Chief Digital Officer. This is the case for many companies that are adding some form of digital element to their existing business model. In this case the CIO is the best person to lead any digital initiatives, as the new digital models must be closely aligned and integrated with the existing technology stack. It may be a stretch for individual CIOs not to mention a considerable challenge but it is the best way to keep a common vision.

The issue is neither black or white and there in considerable grey area but companies must be very careful when they start to think about how to digitize their businesses and who will lead the charge.

About the Author

Paul Hudson is a partner with StoneWood Group, a leading executive search firm. He has helped organizations attract and select talent for over 20 years.